I have not heard about this place. I need to pull out my Offroad book and see if it has info about this place. A quick Google search has this place label as a 'ghost town' and is 2WD friendly. I will look for more info about this place...

Acording to the article I-10 to exit 242 then Avra Valley rd. west 21.5 miles to the turn off to Silver Bell Mine. This is where the pavement ends, bear right on west Silver Bell rd and follow the rugged winding, up and down route west then north then northeast about 13.5 miles around the Silver Bell mountians.
This circles Ragged top and the Silver Bell mine.
Then back to Marana.

sounds like a fun day run for the Phx area and a back yeard run for the Tucson folks.
October?

Acording to the article I-10 to exit 242 then Avra Valley rd. west 21.5 miles to the turn off to Silver Bell Mine. This is where the pavement ends, bear right on west Silver Bell rd and follow the rugged winding, up and down route west then north then northeast about 13.5 miles around the Silver Bell mountians.
This circles Ragged top and the Silver Bell mine.
Then back to Marana.

sounds like a fun day run for the Phx area and a back yeard run for the Tucson folks.
October?

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I was following this on Google maps, there are a lot of roads in that area, roads that are not label. This would be good to go out there are explore the area.

Acording to the article I-10 to exit 242 then Avra Valley rd. west 21.5 miles to the turn off to Silver Bell Mine. This is where the pavement ends, bear right on west Silver Bell rd and follow the rugged winding, up and down route west then north then northeast about 13.5 miles around the Silver Bell mountians.
This circles Ragged top and the Silver Bell mine.
Then back to Marana.

sounds like a fun day run for the Phx area and a back yeard run for the Tucson folks.
October?

Click to expand...

HRM if this is 2wd friendly I would be interested... I traded in my white 5lug and now have 6lug TRD OR with locker...

The article says recomend high clearance and 4 wheel drive but They are only concerened with water flowing after rain so I think you should be OK If you go with others they can get you out easy I would guess.

The article says recomend high clearance and 4 wheel drive but They are only concerened with water flowing after rain so I think you should be OK If you go with others they can get you out easy I would guess.

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Good point... I am little concerned about my tires, the truck currently has 265/70/16 Pathfinder H/T tires which have seen better days...LOL I just cant afford to damage the tires, since I have no money to buy new tires... Something to think about, I guess...

Good point... I am little concerned about my tires, the truck currently has 265/70/16 Pathfinder H/T tires which have seen better days...LOL I just cant afford to damage the tires, since I have no money to buy new tires... Something to think about, I guess...

I am trying to look for a book that might have information about this place. I have only found online sources that are several years old. From what I have read, this trail can be done in 2WD. It would be good to head out there and explore the area.

It's a cool scenic drive... deff 2wd friendly. I explored a few off-shoots here and there, one of them was pretty much 4x4 required but... it dead ended by a locked gate as the trail looks perm closed. Still a lot of other offshoots I never hit up... all marked by FS markers. Here are a few pics from earlier this year:

I had some time to kill that day while in Tucson, and ever since I was a kid I wanted to head out that way and check it out (grew up in Picture Rocks, AZ). Was pretty cool to finally get out there and check it out. Plus it's impressive seeing one of the old large mining operations in AZ out there. Long drive though... and you can cut back through Red Rock to hit up I-10, or take Avra Valley road all the way through. I entered from Avra Valley and looped back through Red Rock on that trip.

There's also another entrance to Ironwood Forest from the south side... I don't know if there is an open trail to connect the two though, it seemed like it was divided by private land (somehow I ended up on the wrong side of a private fence here too... all I did was follow FS signs and got to another gate that was openable but I read the sign from the back side and it said "private land" blah blah. Honest mistake and it should be marked better from the primary entrance tbh :/

Note this entrance is a very sandy wash and especially after rains... 2wd is not highly recommended, at the least aired down and locked. I did take my 08 Pre-runner through it without issue, but I never had to stop with an on coming vehicle or anything either. Note this side was actively patrolled by Border Patrol and Rangers... also Border was equipped with Raptors. They seem to be more after illegals out there but... still be aware. Manville is a road that it's... um... very easy to want to test that speed limiter out on... not that I'd EVER break the law intentionally Seriously though there is open range out there and people live out near the end of it so take caution on that road, easy to get dazed on the trip there.

Edit: Direction to Silverbell. Pretty straight forward... take Avra Valley to the end. Near the locked gate to the mine maybe 1/4 to 1/8th a mile before there is a large-ish dirt road that V's off toward the southwest... that's the main entrance to the back area and Ironwood.